An Awakening
by FangskintheWickedOne
Summary: Noah doesn't remember anything about his past except his name. He is rescued from the brink of death, and he is thrust into a whirlwind adventure to discover his identity, forge new friends, and save the world from the great Evil that darkens the horizon.
1. Chapter 1: Discovery

**Ahhh, well. Here we are again. I was sitting in Math Class again, bored to tears and with nothing to do, when all of a sudden, *BOOM*! It hit me! Don't you just love random inspiration? Anyways, here goes!**

That night, it poured.

Noah felt paralyzed. He couldn't move anything. He searched back in his memories. He knew his name, but…what happened? He had vague recollections of shadows and…now, there was nothing. But he was far too tired to feel distressed. He had some recent recall…he had been swimming, out on the ocean, then…nothing. He couldn't remember anything besides that and his name. He tried in vain to open his eyes. He couldn't even do such a small task.

Noah lay, hopeless, in what felt like mud, water streaming all around him. He felt himself dancing delicately on the edge of consciousness, the whole world in complete darkness all around him. The rain continued to pound down, relentless. Noah could barely keep himself attached to reality. His thoughts became cloudy. He could feel his whole body shutting down in the bitter cold of the storm. Then, in the distance, he imagined he heard a voice.

"Hey! You there! Are you alright?"

Noah tried to respond, but he couldn't. He decided he had just imagined the voice. Who would be out in a hurricane like this anyways? Just as he had given up completely, he heard another voice, different than the first.

"Come on, Micaela, we can't leave that poor Pokemon in the storm!"

Once again, Noah was jerked back into consciousness, just for a moment. He had a short, clouded thought. _What did it say?_

The last thing he heard was the first voice again, "Come on, Zaiga, here he is! Let's take him back…" There was more, but Noah couldn't hear it. He blacked out again as he felt a pair of strong, scaly arms lift him off the ground.

That night, it poured.

When Noah woke up, he found himself in a huge domed room made of crumbling stone. He could smell dust and age all around, along with…was that a Pokemon? His instincts told him it was a Ground-type, but he didn't know why. It just smelled like dirt, but somehow, he knew. He tried to move himself, but his muscles screamed at him. No, he wouldn't be moving anytime soon. He was barely able to turn his head and look around the room.

He saw that the rest of the room was just like his first impression: dust, age, and the dirt-scent of a Ground-type Pokemon. If he turned his head all the way to its limit, he could just see the claws of a Pokemon, presumably the ground-type he had first scented. Then a voice, the second voice he had heard in his dark recollections of what he assumed was the previous night, spoke.

"Hey Ankhet, he's waking up. Get over here!"

A Cofagrigus floated into Noah's sight. Noah would've been frightened by the Ghost Pokemon, but he was just too exhausted to feel any emotion other than confusion.

"So it would seem, Zaiga. How are you, little Pokemon? Are you feeling any better?"

Noah tried to speak, but he just made a kind of strangled gurgling sound. He tried to move again, but just as before, his body locked up in a spasm of pain. When it subsided, the Cofagrigus spoke again.

"Please, don't push yourself too hard. You've been hurt quite badly. We wouldn't want you to suffer further injury. Please, Mayir, would you find Lord Ragus for me? He'd like to come and see our new guest."

"Of course, Ankhet." Noah watched as a Krokorok walked off down a great hall which seemed to span endlessly into the distance. Then the Cofagrigus, Ankhet, looked back at Noah, and peered at him curiously.

"So, what happened to you, little Pokemon? What mysteries do you have for us to unravel…?" He muttered. Again, Noah attempted to speak, but once again, he simply managed a weak gurgle.

What had happened? Why could Noah barely move or speak? And how did he end up on the shore with all these strange Pokemon gathered around him? Then another thought struck him: _Pokemon?_ Just as these enigmatic wisps were tumbling about his mind, a rumbling voice with a hint of amusement echoed from the great hall.

"So tell me, Ankhet, where is this mysterious Pokemon that even you seem identify? Show me the creature of amazement that has everyone so stirred up."

As the last rumbling words faded down the corridor, a colossal Krookodile with an amused glimmer in its eyes stooped into the domed room in whichNoah lay. Ankhet was floating between Noah and the Krookodile, so the enormous creature couldn't see the prone form of Noah collapsed on the dusty floor.

"Well? I must see this curious creature, Ankhet. Show me to him."

"Ahh, yes…here is, sir. But I tell you, I just can't figure out what he is…"

"Can't you now? Little matter. By the way, didn't I tell you not to call me sir? You're a good friend. Ragus is just fine."

"Of course, s-, I mean, Ragus."

As he said this, Ankhet floated aside. Noah watched Lord Ragus warily. He was a fearsome creature indeed, with crimson scales and bands of black. His claws were razor-sharp, and his fangs looked like rows of pearly stalactites hanging from the roof of his mouth. However, his toothy grin was friendly…so far. And his eyes shone with a sort of amity that seemed out of place on such a mighty creature's features.

But this glowing countenance was not to last. Noah watched with dismay as the Krookodile got a good look at him. His face slowly dropped from amusement, to a curious puzzlement, to a vexed confusion, to a dismayed horror. Ragus set his jaw, then whipped around to address Ankhet and the two Krokoroks, who had stood in silence the entire time.

He spoke one terse word: "Come."

The three of them followed Ragus down the hall away. Noah lay for a moment, puzzled over this new development. He had little time to consider, however. As he lay on the bare ground, a sudden wave of nausea washed over him. He felt like vomiting...then passed out.

Ankhet was worried. He had seen the look on Ragus' face before he had stormed out; whatever this new Pokémon was, it was obviously worrying the Krookodile. As the four of them marched up to Ragus' chambers, they drew the attention of many passing Pokémon. It was unusual, to say the least, when Lord Ragus was truly upset. He had a naturally mischievous disposition, which, of course, had receded a bit upon his becoming the Lord. But still, Ragus had never been the type to worry overmuch. All this action was stirring everyone's blood up. Things certainly weren't as they seemed any more…

As soon as the quartet were out of earshot of any nosy passerby, Ragus whirled around to address his advisors. Lost in his own misgivings, Ankhet nearly crashed into Ragus when they had reached the Lord's chambers. However, the Krookodile didn't seem to even notice. He immediately shot a question at Ankhet.

"Have you ever heard of a Treecko?"

Ankhet was confused. _A what? _When he answered in the negative, Ragus launched another question.

"What about a Torchic?"

Again, Ankhet was forced to say that he hadn't.

"And why should you have? They don't live around here. Not even in the farthest reaches of the Unova region will one find either a Treecko or a Torchic. So then, answer me this, trusted confidant and friend of mine: Why are two creatures that have never been seen anywhere near the Castle before SLEEPING UNDER MY ROOF?"

Ragus slammed his fist down hard against the stone slab seated before his throne. A dull _*crack* _echoed around the room, and the slab split in two as easily as if it were a blade of grass. At this point, the younger of the two Krokoroks spoke up.

"Pardon my asking, but…if you are so distressed about the appearance of these two, then why don't we just turn them out?"

At first, Ragus seemed to turn this idea over in his mind. But that only lasted a moment. He replied, much calmer now, "Because, my dear Zaiga, that is not how you treat guests. However much of an issue they may pose for us, we can't simply let them die in the desert. It is the policy of the Castle to give shelter to any in need of it, unless they are a direct threat to the current inhabitants…and at the moment, our little friends are not." Ragus sighed, then continued on with his narrative.

"I believe these Pokémon are here for a reason. As I have said, it's not every day we have such odd little friends at the Castle. As a matter of fact, the last time…no, no, that was much too long ago. You see, Treecko, and Torchic, for that matter, are Pokémon not native to the Unova region."

Here, Zaiga once again interjected.

"What other region is there? You always talk about the Unova region, but no one has ever said anything about any regions _outside_." Ankhet agreed.

"I've searched the records up and down, s-, uh, erm, Ragus, and I've only seen the occasional mention of other regions. There simply isn't any fact to support-"

Ragus interrupted Ankhet with a dangerous smile. "No, there isn't any _written_ evidence. But who says you need it? Obviously, I've never told the three of you my story, before I became the Lord of the Relic Castle. Sit around here, get comfortable, for it's quite a tale. I think, though, that now is the time to tell it."

The four of them sat down around the split slab of rock, and Ragus began to tell his extraordinary story.

"You see, when I was quite young, barely a young Krokorok, I met a young Fraxure while traveling up towards Victory Road…"

The quartet settled in, for it was a long story, indeed. But there was time. Noah, who was still racked with pain from his seizing muscles, could do nothing but let the kind Audino tend to his injuries. And the other inhabitants had many jobs to do, so were busy didn't need the immediate assistance of their Lord. No, there was plenty of time to sit by the slab and tell the tale of how a young Ragus had met up with a band of other young adventurers, discovering an exotic land far beyond the reaches their simple homes….

**…And that's all for this chapter. Have to keep you on edge, don't I? Please, R&R, and I'll get the next chapter to you as soon as I can!**


	2. Chapter 2: Reminiscence

**Sorry for the late update, everyone. I had a VERY busy Christmas Season this year, and what's more, once I finally got some time to finish and post this chapter, my internet was down! But, you're certainly not here to listen to my complaining! Enjoy this chapter as a gift from me to you. By the way, thanks for your review, darknexus4! Now then, on to our next chapter…**

"So yes, I met a Fraxure. He was a young one, like myself, just starting out into the world. His name was Lezzeth. I learned quite a bit about the culture of Haxorus in the north from him. We had quite a time…wandering the countryside, seeing the sights, helping Pokémon in need. One night, while we were sitting around a little fire somewhere way up in the northwestern forests, we heard a noise. We got all up and ready to fight, expecting trouble, but it was nothing of the kind. It was a desperate little Elgyem. He was exhausted and distressed. We laid him down to rest by our fire, as it was a very brisk night, and gave him some of our Oran berries. He was a bit better after that, and he told us what was going on.

"Apparently, he had been staying with a friend of his, a Litwick, out in the forest, when they were attacked by a group of hulking Pokémon. He said he hadn't seen just what they were, but they were huge and powerful. They overwhelmed his friend and attacked the poor Elgyem. He said he just managed to escape by teleporting away, and had been fleeing that region for a good hour. He saw our fire, and thought we may be able to help him. Naturally, we agreed right away. His story was just so sad…we couldn't sit around and do nothing. He had said that neither his parents nor his friend's parents knew what happened, because they weren't supposed to be back until the next morning. So, after he ate a few more berries, we set off in the direction he came from, looking for the Pokémon that attacked him.

"Lezzeth and I knew little about the Pokémon that roamed around that region, as we'd only just stopped up there. We had no idea what we were going up against, and, quite frankly, no plan of action. We had just decided to figure out what we could, and just work it out as we went along. Ahhh, yes, we were a rash pair, to be sure…but we were confident we could solve this problem. But we weren't expecting what happened next. We found the little clearing where the other two Pokémon had camped out, and the crooks had not yet abandoned the scene.

"The creatures were huge, to be sure. Lezzeth and I couldn't figure out what they were right away, but our little Elgyem sure could. He knew what they were as soon as he got a good look. The three of us waited at the edge of the clearing, watching the great ice-type Pokémon gloat over their victory. There was a weak, fragile-looking Litwick sitting at the edge of the clearing, who I assumed was the Elgyem's friend. Naturally, though, it couldn't have been as easy as we had first assumed. The Pokémon, who the Elgyem said were Beartic, were huge, and to make things worse, there were five of them. I could tell it wouldn't be nearly so simple as we had hoped. But we developed a bit of a plan. For another hour, we lay, hidden, at the edge of the clearing, plotting, while the Beartics sat around, gorging themselves on the friends' food supplies. Eventually, the three of us decided on a plan of action.

"We had decided to try to surprise the Beartics, because we knew that if we couldn't catch them off-guard, we would be at an extreme disadvantage. So we enacted the plan as thus: First, Elgyem dashed into the clearing, shaking like a leaf, but bravely claiming he would stop those cruel bullies. He cast a Confusion, which made a little impact, but was nothing to such powerful bullies like the Beartics. They got aggravated, as per the plan, and jumped up to try to finish the business they had started. This was our cue.

"Lezzeth and I snuck around as quickly and quietly as we could so that we were positioned on either flank of the Beartics' rear. As they dashed forward with Ice Punches to smash the poor Elgyem, he teleported away, and we dashed out from our hiding place. Lezzeth swung at one Beartic with a Dragon Claw, while I bashed another with a Faint Attack. Caught unawares, the Beartics couldn't organize themselves fully until we had felled both of the thugs we had first targeted. Then they went for us with a vengeance.

"We had anticipated this, but it was still a tough fight. Lezzeth just kept whipping out with his Dragon Tail, keeping the Beartics from overwhelming us. I dug under the ground, burrowed a tunnel and lashed out at the bullies from behind, dealing some damage to their ranks. But they were tough creatures indeed. They were full-grown, while we were only youngsters. They hit us with a force like a frigid tidal wave, and just kept pounding away. It was the most I could do just to keep from getting pounded to a reptilian pulp. And Lezzeth was tiring fast as well. We fought as best as we could, but it was no use. They were just too powerful. We thought we were done for, when help came out from an unexpected place.

"Lezzeth had just gotten hit with a powerful Ice Punch, sending him flying back into the trees, stunned. Elgyem was desperately trying to revive his injured friend, and I was failing in my defense. I thought I was doomed, but just as the Beartic attacking me was about to connect with an Ice Punch that would send me flying, a ball of pure darkness slammed into him, sending him off balance. I was shocked, for a moment, but wasted no time. I lashed out, unleashing a Faint Attack on him, sending him sprawling. A Lampent flew out of the trees, firing another Shadow Ball at the Beartic closing in on the weakened Lezzeth. It hit the Beartic hard, knocking him to the ground. I dashed in again, and bit down hard on his neck, putting him out of commission. The last Beartic, now outnumbered and overpowered, looked at us, startled, then quickly shambled away.

"That's when the Lampent looked down at the desperate Elgyem, trying to revive his injured friend. There was something in the way the Lampent looked at the Litwick then…I never did figure out just what it was, but it sent chills running up and down my spine. But the look passed, and I thanked the Lampent for helping us when we needed. He nonchalantly shrugged it off, but I knew we wouldn't have stood a chance against those ruffians without his help. He left shortly after to find the parents of the frightened children. Lezzeth and I stood guard, making sure nothing could come by and harm the poor creatures. Of course, we had been beaten up pretty badly ourselves in the fight, so we probably couldn't have done much. While we were resting and picking ourselves back together, the Lampent came back with a distraught Beheeyem at his side. The Beheeyem went over to her son, weeping about how horrible the whole thing must have been. The Elgyem's father came out a bit behind, quietly thanking the stoic Lampent and going to pick up the unconscious Litwick.

"That was the day Lezzeth and I added a new friend to our group. The Lampent's name was Veron, and he had also been wandering around the countryside looking for some mysterious treasure. He was a scholarly one, a bit standoffish at first, but he warmed up to us fairly quickly. Apparently, he had gone in search of the Gray Stone, said to hold the soul of the legendary Ice Dragon, Kyurem. He had never found it, unfortunately, but after bonding with us a bit over berry juice at the Beheeyems' den, he declared that he should join us on our roving adventures across Unova, and we were happy to have him.

"The father Beheeyem told us that he had a cousin on the east coast of Unova, and that we should go visit them. Without any other course, we decided that it was as good a choice as any, so we did go off eastward, across the chilly northern forests towards the rolling hills of Victory Road. There, we had another encounter.

"We met a Rufflet and a Pawniard. The two of them had been sent on the proving journey of which both Pokémon families are accustomed. But the two were still fairly young, and had no preparation for the journey. They were half-starved when we found them curled up in a cave near the base of a waterfall. Lezzeth, Veron, and I had agreed to make camp in the cave and stay for the night. That's when we found the pitiful pair who had been forced together for survival. Naturally, we took pity on them. We gave them some food and allowed them to travel with us so that we could help them and they should not fall victim to the ravaging wilderness of the north hills. They told us their names; the Rufflet was named Kraeo, and the Pawniard was called Zenta. Even though they were a bit younger than us, we became fast friends, and soon they became inseparable travelling companions.

"So we continued our journey eastward, the five of us, until we reached the Beheeyem's abode on the misty eastern shore. He had a cavernous den built into the side of an immense grassy cliff, right next to a lazily crashing waterfall. The place was wonderfully serene and beautiful, despite the waterfall, but you could only see just how splendid it was on certain days when the dense fogs lifted for a short time. That was also where we encountered the sixth and final member to round out our travelling group.

"Living on the shore also was a family of Mienshao and their littlest daughter, a Mienfoo. The Mienfoo loved to spar with Kraeo and Zenta when they had free time, which seemed to be often. The quaint little grassy cliffs and slowly winding rivers allured us, and we ended up staying there with the Beheeyems for some time. Eventually, Lezzeth and I started to construct a den for ourselves while Veron continued to search around. He always said he could feel the mysterious air about the place, especially in the hills near the old shrine. With the three of us occupied in our own endeavors, Kraeo and Zenta really had nothing else to do but spar with the Mienfoo. She spent quite a bit of time with them, and since Lezzeth, Veron, and I viewed them as our charges, we came to know the little Mienfoo quite well.

"As time wound on we got into a bit of a luxurious torpor. We sat about most days, relaxing and enjoying the beautiful land. Veron kept on searching at the old shrine, but never found anything of particular interest. Lezzeth explored the surrounding lands every morning, and always found something new to marvel at; one day it was a great forest to the southwest, then a beach to the north, and so on and so forth. I did odd jobs all over, keeping myself slightly busy. Kraeo and Zenta continued to spar with the Mienfoo, whose name I learned was Teresi, and they became stronger. We dealt with the occasional thugs and footpads as necessary, since most of the other denizens of those parts didn't fight much. It was a nice life, all-in-all.

"But nothing can last forever. At some point, Teresi and Kraeo evolved, and that brought up a new set of considerations. Since Teresi was now a Mienshao and fully independent, she was forced to leave her family den. Naturally, she moved in with us in the ever-expanding tunnel system I had worked on constructing in the cliff face. When Kraeo evolved, he felt the need to stretch his wings (quite literally) as a new Braviary, and went on expedition trips with Lezzeth to see the sights of the surrounding lands. Zenta, now left without a sparring mate, decided to help Veron in his research. So every morning, Lezzeth and Kraeo went off to see the landscape, Veron and Zenta headed to the old shrine in the cliffs to study and analyze, and Teresi and I hung around the shore, enjoying each other's company. Everyone was usually home by the afternoon, and we would enjoy the evenings together, as a makeshift family.

"But just as we were getting into the habit of things, another surprise came. A traveler, a Pokémon I had never seen before, stopped by our little cavern on the shore one evening. She was exhausted from months of wandering, and pleaded with us that we would allow her a place to rest her weary head. Naturally, we were more than happy to oblige.

"Around a quiet fire that night, we listened to the strange Pokémon's story. She told us she had come from a land far distant over the eastern oceans. She had wanted to see the world, and had come this way in the hopes she might find something. But the trip was hard, and she was confused by all the strange Pokémon she had met when she came here. She had tried to find a place to stay, but had become hopelessly lost. When she stumbled upon our cave, she was overjoyed to hear that we would let her stay for a short time. We asked her much about who she was and the lands she came from. She said she was a Pidgeot, and that she had never seen any Pokémon like us from where she came. It was all a bit puzzling to us, but it certainly piqued our curiosity. We agreed that, a week hence, we would follow the Pidgeot back across the ocean to see her home. Kraeo had become a strong Pokémon by then; he was able to carry the other five of us while following our visitor all the way across the sea.

"So when the day arrived, the five of us all climbed onto Kraeo's back. The Pidgeot flapped her wings, and took off. Kraeo leaped into the air after her. It was quite an exhilarating experience indeed. The air rushed past us at an incredible speed, and we all clung on tightly to Kraeo's back, lest we were blown off and into the great blue expanse beneath us. The trip took a few days, days of straight flying with no rest at all. We found it exhausting, and I can only imagine the strain it had on Kraeo. But he never complained, just kept on flapping his wings and following the Pidgeot. There was little for us to do but simply sit back and wait for the ride to end.

"After the all those days of flying, we landed on a tiny beach nestled between several huge spires of rock that appeared to be on the shore of an entirely new continent. It was a stranger place than we could ever have imagined. Near the beach was a little village filled with all sorts of unique Pokémon, the likes of which we had never imagined. Pokémon like Chatot, Swellow, Electivire, Kecleon, Duskull, Chansey, Xatu, Kangaskhan, and many more. We learned so much about their culture, the way they lived, and all about the unique and magnificent Pokémon. It was quite an experience. That's also where I met Kasey and Nick, with which we had many adventures, but that's another story entirely. Ahhh, the times we had…those were good Pokémon. Yes, we had an incredible time exploring this incredible lost continent of sorts. But, it simply couldn't be our destiny to wander forever.

"As it was, my father had taken ill. He was a ripe old Krookodile, and had ruled the Relic Castle for many centuries. But even he couldn't live forever. As I said, he grew very sick, and, as the legitimate heir to the throne of the Relic Castle, I had no choice but to return at the vehement urging of the messenger, a _very _distressed Swanna. But it wasn't just me. The Swanna also brought news of other problems. The lands near where Lezzeth and I met Veron had recently been plagued by a number of strange occurrences, attributed to a host of Beartics, our old foes. Veron and Lezzeth agreed to go back to resolve that issue. And Teresi's family were requesting she returned immediately, for a recent turn of events had led to her mother being in some kind of danger, the Swanna never specified just what it was. But Kraeo and Zenta agreed to help Teresi with whatever it was she needed. So, with all this weighing heavily on our minds, we flew back to the continent we had already known.

"Kraeo was now much larger and stronger than when we first came, so the journey seemed not quite as hard or long as the first time. When we returned to the coast where we had lived for some time, we went our separate ways. I returned to the Relic Castle to tend to my sickened father. Unfortunately, it was a fair bit more serious than we had first expected. After only a few more weeks of my presence at the Castle, my father passed, but he was at peace knowing his only son and heir was there to take the throne. As you three well know, that I did.

"Since that day, I have stayed here. I met another Krookodile, your mother, Zaiga and Mayir, and fell in love. Love is a wonderful thing…you see, I told myself that someday, I would go back into the world and meet back up with all my old friends. But with my kingdom to rule and a mate to be with, I just never got around to it. I haven't gone outside of the desert…my, I haven't left the desert since when I returned, all those many years ago. Such a long time. I would like to go out into the world, but I still have responsibilities here. However, with the recent turn of events…I think it may be worth our while to pay a visit. I know that those two, Micaela and Noah, must originally be from the lost continent, the one where I had my many adventures as a youth. They are forever connected to it, more than they may know. They must find a way to return to their home. _That_ is how they will find their destinies; I am certain of it."

Ragus shifted his position in his throne. "But of course, much will need to be done before then. You three have heard my story now, and I hope you enjoyed it. Of course, the six of us had some…_other_…adventures, but as I said, that's for another time." Ragus again shifted in his throne. "Now, however, you need to get some rest. It must be well into the morning. Go on, sleep. We can continue discussing these matters when they again become important. Good night!"

Zaiga and Mayir rose to their feet, stretched, and clomped off to their respective bedchambers for the night. Ankhet slowly floated up, then drifted off to his room a little further off in the Castle. When Ragus was left alone in his throne room, he sighed. "Ahhh, my friends of old…if only I could speak with you again. It has been far too long…." Ragus sat on his throne, reminiscing about days gone by, fleeting shadows of what once was.

**And that's it for this chapter! I hope you enjoyed hearing a bit of Ragus' story. This chapter turned out quite a bit longer than I expected. Anyways, R&R!**


	3. Chapter 3: Revelations

**Well, I'm updating a bit late again. More internet troubles. The internet can be unbelievably frustrating at times. But that's beside the point…I hope you all enjoy Chapter 3!**

Noah sprinted across the beach as fast as he could. He risked a fleeting glance behind him, and caught sight of a creature, swathed in shadows, roaring after him. He tried to run faster, but whenever he sped up, so did the monster.

He kept on running as fast as he could, the horrible shadow beast just a few yards behind him. He whipped around a corner, only to find himself facing a wall of solid rock. He spun around in a panic, trying to figure out where to go, how he could escape, but the creature of darkness had already come upon him. It leaned close, and Noah heard its deep, dark voice pierce into his mind.

_You cannot run, little one._

He felt fear and panic rise inside him, as the monstrous creature reared its head and roared into the night. Then, it lunged forward, opening its ferocious maw to swallow Noah whole…

Noah awoke trembling, in a cold sweat. He looked around to see the familiar domed room filled with sand, and smelled the musty dirt smell of the Relic Castle. Relieved, he released his breath, not even realizing he was holding it. The halls around the chamber seemed quiet, so Noah figured it must've been the dead of night, though he could not be sure, as the only light in the room was emitted by a series of faintly glowing candles along the wall which were always lit. He tried to clamber to his feet, and bursts of pain shot all over his body. But, as he was happy to see, he could stand on his feet, albeit shakily. After taking a few steps from his bed, and finding that walking was much more painful than standing, he slunk back to his pile of dry reeds, uneager to slip back into the realm of his nightmares.

The horrible dreams had started a few days after his arrival at the Castle. His healing had been slow, and at the time he couldn't do much more than sit up in bed, but they had made progress. Then, one night, he had lain down to sleep and found the horrible monster of impenetrable darkness stalking him while he rested. Every night he ran from the beast, and each progressive night it would take longer for him to wake up. He feared that one night, he may fall asleep and never awaken. But what could he do? He had to sleep, or he would die of exhaustion. This most recent night was the first night in which the creature had spoken to him, and its voice rattled Noah's nerves. The voice seemed to come from the dark abyss itself, a terrible rumbling with an evil quality to it all its own. It felt like a needle of pure shadow was stabbing through Noah's mind. It was a terrible feeling indeed, but he could do nothing about it, as of yet. But Noah resolved to have a word with Ankhet when he arrived to check on Noah the following morning. So far, he hadn't told a soul about his nightmares, but he wanted to change that.

For Noah, the rest of the night passed slowly and sleeplessly. He simply lay in his bed, staring around the domed room he had come to know so well. He was, in part, glad that sleep eluded him. He had no desire to return to his nightmarish dreams. But he worried for his health all the while. Eventually, after what seemed like an eternity of staring at a wall and counting the cracks in it, Ankhet drifted into the room, and Noah tiredly got to his feet.

"So, how was our guest last night? Sleep well, Noah?" Ankhet floated over to the bed, shuffled it a bit to make sure there was nothing in it, then invited Noah to sit back down, which he gladly did.

"Well…not as well as I'd like, Ankhet. You see, I…I…I've been having these…dreams…" Noah started to explain, but Ankhet cut him off.

"I understand."

"You do?"

"Of course. All Pokémon should have dreams when they sleep. It's when you're _not_ dreaming that you should worry. Every Pokémon will have different dreams, and that is to be expected. Whatever kind of dream you're having should be normal to you, and so long as it is, there shouldn't be a problem. Dreams are something private that should be shared only with those whom you believe they may concern, or people you would trust with your life."

"I see…thanks for the advice, Ankhet. So how did your evening go?" Noah decided to take Ankhet's advice. He liked the Cofagrigus, and would probably trust him with his life, but he simply didn't know Ankhet well enough to tell him about the dark dreams he'd had.

"Same as always, really. My normal duties. My life can be quite bland at times…"

The two made idle chat until Marcie, the Audino who lived at the Relic Castle, came in to change Noah's bandages and continue to monitor his slow healing process. When she was satisfied with her work, she hurried off to fetch some berries for Noah. As she was leaving, Ankhet turned to go, but Noah stopped him.

"I want to meet the one who saved me."

Ankhet turned back around to face Noah, and gave him an odd look. Then he said, "I believe you already have. Zaiga, Lord Ragus' younger son. He was the one that brought you back from the desert shore to the Castle."

"Yes, yes, I've met Zaiga, but…there was another voice, I know. Was there someone with Zaiga when he found me on the beach?"

Ankhet seemed hesitant to answer. "Well, yes…there was one other Pokémon with him, but…I'm not really sure…"

"I want to meet that Pokémon." Noah said in a firm and demanding voice. "I must know who it was that found me there. I _have _to know."

"Well…alright. Her name's Micaela…I'll see what I can do." Ankhet left the room, radiating uncertainty. He knew Ragus had demanded she couldn't see Noah, but he also knew that the Treecko wouldn't rest until he had talked to her.

After Ankhet drifted away, Noah lay back down in his bed and thought. _Ankhet seemed hesitant to tell me about this…Micaela…I wonder why. She seems so mysterious…maybe she can help tell me why I'm a Treecko…_.

Noah had come to terms with the fact that he was now a Pokémon. He just wanted to know why. What had he done? He knew that he wasn't supposed to be a Pokémon, and of that he was certain. He just didn't know what to think. What had happened to him? It was all so troubling…he was determined to find out his destiny, at any cost. He simply had to know.

Meanwhile, Ragus was ruminating on his throne. He had been thinking quite a bit the last few days. He was certain of the fact that his guests were meant to go to the Lost Continent, as he called it. But he couldn't figure out how. The only Pokémon he knew of that could brave the distance between Unova and this new land were the Pidgeot he had met as a child, and his best friend Kraeo. But he knew the whereabouts of neither. For all he knew, they could have both been dead. Even had the Pidgeot not been dead, she would almost certainly be back at her homeland, which wouldn't help anybody. Which left only Kraeo….

"Jerod! Get in here!" Ragus barked loudly.

A small Darumaka, Ragus' personal messenger, hobbled into the room, shaking. He had never before seen his Lord quite so loud as this. He feared Ragus was angry with something that the poor Pokémon had done personally.

"Stop skulking around at the entrance! Get over here!" Ragus beckoned the frightened messenger.

"Y-Y-Y-Yes, L-Lord?"

Ragus leaned down towards the Darumaka until his snout lay just inches away from the messenger's face. "This is extremely important. Do you understand me?"

Jerod nodded, still quivering.

"Good. I need you to go out into the desert and find the five fastest Sigilyph out there. The very fastest, you understand? I don't care how you go about it, but you must make sure they are the _fastest_ Sigilyph in the desert. Do you hear me?"

Once again, the little Darumaka nodded.

"Good. Remember, this is _extremely_ important. Don't mess this up."

Jerod stumbled off towards the exit, exclaiming, "I won't fail you, Lord!"

Ragus watched the tiny scamp hop off, then leaned back on his throne. _My, my, my,_ he thought. _What a nice little plan I've concocted this time. I wonder how our guests are faring…_

As he thought that, Ankhet entered the room, staring at the floor, mumbling to himself.

"And what do you need, Ankhet?"

As Ragus spoke, Ankhet seemed to jump, as if not expecting Ragus to say anything at all. "Ah, well…you see s-_, _I mean, Ragus, Noah has a…request he'd like to make."

"And what is that?"

"He…erm…he says…that he wants to meet…" Ankhet mumbled something under his breath.

"He wants to meet who? Tell me, Ankhet, now I'm curious."

"He…he wants to meet…_her._"

Ragus seemed puzzled for a moment, then he deciphered just what Ankhet had said. Then he gave Ankhet one of his all-too-familiar, dangerously mischievous look.

"Then who are we to deny him? Once he becomes well enough to leave his chambers, he may meet her. But until then, I think his curiosity will have to wait. By the by, do you happen to have any fish? I'm a bit peckish. I think I may go out for a while. All this planning and plotting really gets to one's stomach."

With that, Ragus stood up from his throne and plodded out towards the shore. Ankhet stood, dazed, at his lord's reaction. The Krookodile never ceased to amaze him.

**So that's all for Chapter 3. I hope you're all using your noggins out there, trying to figure out what'll happen next. Because honestly, all stories are made better with suspense. On a side note, I'd like to point out that, if more of you readers review my story, I'll be encouraged to update faster. Just remember that. Comments=Faster updates (generally speaking, of course. Blasted internet…) Anyways, R&R!**


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